The University of Connecticut women’s basketball program released its non-conference schedule on Monday, and it features an incredibly challenging group of opponents – even for a program as decorated as UConn.
The Huskies will see several NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago, including LSU, Tennessee, Louisville, Notre Dame, Duke, Michigan and South Carolina – the same South Carolina team that knocked them out in the Final Four. The Huskies had to beat Notre Dame in the Elite Eight to even get to the Final Four.
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While there’s little doubt that UConn will be good again this year, the team will be different in the absence of Azzi Fudd, who has graduated and became the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft. Thus, there will be a learning curve for this group, and there will be significant on-the-job training as a result of this schedule.
If UConn is able to successfully navigate this gauntlet, it will set itself up for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will likely solidify itself as the national championship favorite. If the Huskies stub their toe against this schedule, the hope is that they will be battle tested enough and ready for whatever the NCAA Tournament brings them.
Kudos to Maggie Vanoni, who covers the Huskies, for pointing this out: This will be the first time in 33 years that UConn will not play a non-conference game after the New Year’s Eve holiday.
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UConn has regularly challenged itself in the midst of conference play, giving itself NCAA Tournament style games closer to March. Last year, UConn played Tennessee and Notre Dame in January and February.
Connecticut Huskies forward Sarah Strong (21) drives in to the lane as South Carolina Gamecocks forward Joyce Edwards (8) defends during their NCAA Women’s Final Four semifinal game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 3, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
While this schedule will have the Huskies battle tested over the first two months of the season, what happens after Jan. 1? If UConn rolls through the Big East again after all these games, how will they handle the NCAA Tournament if they haven’t been tested from January until early March?
Geno Auriemma will have to work to keep the edge on this group if that’s the case.
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UConn is set to get a visit from top 2027 recruit Finley Parcher of Washington. She is set to visit the Huskies in November, but has six other West Coast schools in her top seven, meaning Auriemma’s team could be in for a tough battle.
